The Indianapolis Colts have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to explosive bodies in the backfield. Leading the way is running back Marlon Mack, who proved in 2019 to be one of the league’s most explosive runners.
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Now entering a contract year, Mack has had two seasons worth of highlight-reel plays. He was listed seventh on the NFL’s ranking of the most explosive runners in the league.
Runs of 10-plus yards: 28. 10-plus run pct: 11.3. 15-plus mph pct: 20.6.
We’ve spent enough time covering how Mack’s broken hand played directly into Indianapolis’ late-season descent. Without Mack, the Colts lacked the ball-carrier who broke 15 mph on 51 runs (fourth-most among running backs) and ripped off 28 runs of 10-plus yards. The team’s most explosive runner will return in 2020 with the assistance of a similar back in rookie Jonathan Taylor. Multiply these numbers by two backs and consider the possibilities. It’s not guaranteed, but the potential is enticing, and it shows how valuable Mack was to the Colts, even if he isn’t exactly a household name.
Mack’s explosiveness is one of the reasons the Colts liked him enough to take him in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He spent a year working under Frank Gore before taking over the starting duties from 2018–2019.
Mack had a career year in 2019. He took 247 carries for 1,091 yards and eight touchdowns in 14 games (12 starts). His carry total and rushing yards total were both career highs for the USF product.
But now the Colts have added the aforementioned Taylor to the fray. He and Mack will split the work on early downs in the backfield despite both being able to shoulder a full workload out of the backfield. The Colts running back room just got that much more explosive with the addition of Taylor.
It will be interesting to see what the future holds for Mack, but there is no denying the skillset he brings to the backfield.
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